SEASON PREVIEW: Greencastle-Antrim football

GREENCASTLE — Let's be honest, finishing with a record of 5-5 is considered somewhat of a down year for the Greencastle-Antrim varsity football program.

Besides, this is the same team that rolled to back-to-back Mid-Penn Colonial Division titles with a combined record of 19-4 in 2010 and 2011 prior to last season's mark of .500.

Still, the late stages of 2012 served as a springboard into the offseason, with the Blue Devils winning their final three games after sitting at 2-5 in mid-October.

As is the case every year, several key contributors were lost to graduation, leaving voids that will undoubtedly need filled if G-A intends to retake its place atop the Colonial come season's end.

This fall, the Blue Devils will rely on a mixture of experience and youth, with only a handful of varsity starters returning considering last year's senior-heavy roster. Thus, the door has opened for numerous up-and-comers to splash onto the scene, providing plenty of optimism heading into Friday night's opener at Chambersburg.

"We have the makings of a solid ball club," G-A head coach Chuck Tinninis said. "They're a great group of kids and seem to be pretty tight-knit. Honestly, I see no reason why we can't be right there in the mix for the division as long as we can stay healthy."

The most-evident change will be at quarterback, with Matt Montedoro edging out sophomore Sam Sprague for the right to start Week 1. The battle at the signal caller position ran throughout the summer, with Montedoro's senior leadership ultimately proving to be the difference.

He's had experience in a back-up role at the varsity level before. Now, Montedoro will be asked to fill the shoes of dual-threat standout Austin Scott, who conducted the offense for the better part of the last two seasons.

"You always hear about players acting as coaches on the field," said Tinninis, who enters his 26th season at the helm. "Well, Montedoro is one of those players. He knows what everyone's responsibility is on both sides of the ball and the guys have really seemed to respond to him. With his experience as a senior, we just felt like he was the right guy heading into the year."

Known for its' ground-and-pound identity on offense, G-A boasts a physical backfield more than capable of imposing its will on opponents.

Both listed at 6-1 and 210 pounds, the bruising duo of Ashtin Byers and David Woody will split a significant portion of the workload, with Byers penciled in at halfback beside Woody at fullback in G-A's Wing-T.

Byers, now a senior, led the Blue Devils' ball-carrier-by-commitee last year, rushing for 625 yards and seven touchdowns. Woody, who suffered a season-ending knee injury as a sophomore, has looked solid throughout the offseason, serving as a promising addition to G-A's smash-mouth approach.

Page 2 of 3 - "Woody and Byers give us a nice one-two punch," Tinninis explained. "They're both big, physical backs that can also move. They definitely fit our style of play."

Like Woody, Jackson Hall has made quite an impression early on, stepping into the versatile wingback position. Hall has showcased the ability to make people miss in space while offering a solid set of hands for quick passes capable of big yardage.

Known as a kid that could do it all at the junior varsity level, Hall appears poised to make his mark under the lights on Friday nights.

"We've seen a lot of good things out of him," Tinninis said of Hall. "He was a real impact guy on the JV team and we're hoping he can do the same thing up here."

Anchoring the trenches on both sides of the ball will be returning junior Bobby Rider, who's listed at 6-5 and 290 pounds. Serving as a two-way tackle, Rider was named to the Colonial Division First Team as a sophomore, solidifying himself as G-A's lead man up front.

On offense, the likes of Ben Buhrman, Joe Koons, Dalton Webster and Andrew Sheller are slated to accompany Rider in blowing holes open for whomever gets the carry.

With last year's leading receiver Joel Zola not coming out for the team, Sprague and Elijah Webster have emerged as Montedoro's primary targets, complemented by the presence of Jared Starliper at tight end.

Defensively, G-A offers a stout contingent of size and speed, as Rider and Kyle George will spearhead the charge at tackle, flanked by ends Starliper and Brae Peck.

At linebacker, Montedoro and Byers are projected to start on the outside, with Kristian Sheeley and Matt Oberholzer acting as the centerpieces to G-A's 4-4 scheme in the middle.

Anthony Dunagan is also expected to see significant time in the Blue Devils' front eight while Sprague, Nathaniel Monn and Luke Kayga started as defensive backs in G-A's second scrimmage against Red Land last Friday.

"I'm really happy with our versatility on defense," Tinninis said. "With the linebackers and ends we have, it will allow us to jump in and out of a lot of different looks without too much trouble."

Another noticeable shift in personnel will be at kicker, where first-year player Justin Hovey takes over for the dependable leg of Luke Bitner, who handled the duties for the previous three seasons. Hovey will balance his special teams' role simultaneously with his starting spot on G-A's boys' soccer team this fall.

Aside from a difference in a few dates, nothing has changed in terms of the schedule, as the Blue Devils open with three non-league games against Chambersburg, Boiling Springs and Susquehanna Township before beginning Colonial play at Gettysburg in Week 4.

Page 3 of 3 - "I truly feel like the division is wide open," Tinninis said. "A lot of teams are in the same boat because so many seniors seemed to graduate. If we play inspired, smart football, I certainly like our chances."

G-A's home-game schedule is highlighted by Homecoming against Northern York on Sept. 27 followed with a marquee rivalry showdown against Shippensburg on Oct. 11 at Kaley Field.